Touring with Timothy

It’s been a huge blessing to travel in Tokyo with Timothy Hixon. Timothy is a graduate of the Karis Internship who has lived in Japan in the past and has a huge heart for the country. Since we have a few days before English camp begins, we decided to spend some time touring in Tokyo and doing some shopping. Timothy was gracious enough to be our tour guide and train navigator.

Yesterday, we visited the major areas of Shinjuku and Shibuya. Both are extremely districts with tons of shops and things to do. Shibuya boasts of having the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world. We did a ton of walking and visited several stores. With the heat index above 100 degrees, it left us extremely exhausted, yet we still chose to check off a big site on our list, visiting Yokohama that evening.

The city of Yokohama is south of the city on Tokyo Bay. The waterfront is home to an impressive amusement park that features Cosmo Clock 21, a massive, lighted Ferris wheel that gives stunning overlooks of the city and the bay. Melia, Timothy, and I rode that, along with a pretty impressive roller coaster following. We then returned home, extremely exhausted, to our host homes.

This morning, I met Pastor Yoshito Noguchi for coffee in downtown Fuchu. We spent some time catching up and talking about my sermon for Sunday. After that, Jeremy, Timothy, and I shared a meal in the Fuchu Station, and then Timothy and I (Melia took an afternoon to rest) departed for one last jaunt into the city. We visited Ameyoko Plaza, a massive shopping district, where I picked up some gifts for family, along with something for myself (see below). We then stopped back into Shibuya to grab something we missed, and then returned to Fuchu.

This evening, we spent time with the Glosson and Grove MC. Their group members were unable to come, but that allowed us all to break bread and spend time in prayer together. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to reconnect with these dear Karis family members. Tomorrow will be a day with a bit more rest and some time for finalizing my message for Sunday.

For My Fountain Pen Followers

Ameyoko Plaza is an excellent place for fountain pen deals. One of my goals was to find a Pilot Custom 823 while on my trip. I was able to grab one for about a third off from the Ameyokomito store there. Japan is a mecca for pens and stationery. There are so many shops to visit. I’d highly recommend stopping by Ameyoko if you’re looking for a deal. Their prices on Pilot Iroshizuku ink are extremely low, also. I snagged a bottle of 100th anniversary ink for thirteen bucks.

In addition, we stopped by Kingdom Note in Shinjuku yesterday, and grabbed a bottle of their shop-exclusive, Sailor ink. Additional stops were to Tokyu Hands and Loft, which have massive stationery departments. They’re both in Shibuya and are must-visits.